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Beware of guys in puffy black jackets at MIT
By adamg on Tue, 02/24/2009 - 9:13am
The Tech reports two people were mugged on the MIT campus on Sunday. The perps are described as four black males, between 20 and 25, wearing puffy black jackets:
... In the second robbery, outside the Media Lab, the student walked through the group of four perpetrators, one of whom grabbed the victim. Once grabbed, the victim was held "in a choke hold" and then punched, the police said. ...
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Comments
Why did this happen, and did anyone do anything?
There are actually a lot fewer of these crimes on MIT blocks than I'd expect.
MIT people don't always have much street sense, and Kendall Square has multiple subsidized housing projects right on the edge of MIT property, but going into MIT territory to do crime is relatively risky for angry youth. Better to pick on MIT people off-campus, as they're walking alone to housing in Central, Area 4, Inman, Cambridgeport, East Cambridge, etc.
And why is there no mention of the suspects being confronted or chased off by passersby? The Media Lab has at least a block of obviously MIT property and MIT street activity in every direction, for example. No one saw four black males in matching black attire assault someone on campus and figured maybe it wasn't just LARP-ing?
Shout "Hey! Stop!" or "The cops are coming!", or start running at them, or something. I know the dominant philosophy at MIT is enlightened self-interest backed by rigorous application of game theoretic analysis in an idealized meritocracy universe, but grow a pair of Civics already.
start running at them ... or
... or the guy riding a unicycle and juggling can rush in and save the day...
But...
What about all those MIT guys with ponytails and duster jackets. You just know some of them have katanas hidden under there.
Before you go all Snow Crash on us
A Katana would be a big illegal weapons charge, no matter what you used it for. There's no right to bear arms of the sharp kind in this state. If a fellow is hiding a big pig-sticker under his J. Peterman Special, he'd best keep hiding it if the cops show up, or the (alleged) thugs are going to yuk it up as he gets the free ride.
Was kidding about the katana part
But I do think that people should intervene in street assaults. And that can usually be done in a gentlemanly manner, without resorting to fisticuffs.
Carrying a Katana is legal
Carrying a Katana is legal, as is carrying a machete or butcher's knife, unless you have a warrant on you or are arrested committing a breach of the peace. Double-bladed knives like stillettos or broadswords are illegal.
Switchblades, throwing stars, nunchaku, brass knuckles and blowguns are illegal.
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 269, Section 10(b).
My bad
Here and I think Boston is the world, natch.
Just keep the long knives on the other side of the river and you'll be all right. Though I guess ordinance 16-45 leaves open plenty of Belushi-esque loopholes...
Especially the guy with the black hat.
And his girlfriend. Her too.
Industrial Zone
MIT's campus is a maze of industrial alleys in some places--even around some of the fancy new buildings. You can feel remote and be out of sight of a busy street with just a turn of the corner. Plus, it's cold out, so people may not be walking around unless it's between classes. It could very well be that these people got jumped with no witnesses. The thugs could have been waiting for such an opportunity. You can't assume people were there and just watched on without doing anything.